Mid-Michigan is still experiencing chilly days even though our Spring flowers are blooming. Today it is only in the 40’s, and we are expecting rain. My garden is producing a spectacular display of flowers this year, perhaps because it is aging. We moved to this home ten years ago this coming Fall. Just saying that…
Tag: flowers
drying summer flowers
Not only do I enjoy my summer garden while it is in bloom, but I usually try to save some of the flowers of the season. I simply use my garage greenhouse and old sheet pans. I put out flowers from summer floral arrangements and also from my garden throughout the season. I allow them…
Flowers in Chicago
So during my Chicago visit, I could not help but to really take notice and appreciate the lovely street flowers along the Magnificent Mile. The floral and landscape designs were well planned and diverse along the road. They were not only planted nicely, but very well maintained which impressed me for a big city. Chicago…
Up North flowers
Each summer when we travel up North, I am always delighted to admire the lovely window boxes and street flowers that fill the shopping districts of the Northern Michigan towns. Here are some of my favorite flower boxes — but, realize that there were so many more that were equally beautiful. The…
summer window boxes
Last weekend, for Memorial Day, I prepared and planted my deck window boxes. I usually give the wicker boxes a coat of fresh paint, and then fill and plant them. Since they are made of wicker, I usually do not fill the entire box with potting soil, as it would be too heavy and is…
My garden will be awake soon
I can’t wait until Spring. Today we had some sunshine and blue skies. Even though the outdoor temperature was only 22 F this afternoon, the sky looked spectacular. I gazed out my window at my snow-filled picket fence garden and continued to dream about warmer days. March is a good time of year to review…
Garden seeds –a review
The seed catalogs have been arriving at my home for the past few weeks, and the excitement of having new plants and seeds for the Spring has begun. The miracle of seed germination includes both hope and dreams for a beautiful flower or vegetable plant. I don’t collect many seeds from my own plants, as…
autumn equinox at Dahlia Hill
One weekend ago, we celebrated the autumn equinox at Dahlia Hill in Midland, MI. This garden is unlike any other garden. Nearly 3000 individual tubers are planted each Spring, which begin to bloom in July, continuing until the first frost. Over 250 varieties of dahlias are planted by volunteers in eight terraced garden levels. …
summer coneflowers
surrounding my perennial and herb gardens are coneflowers. technically, Echinacea are considered herbaceous plants from the daisy family of flowers. i love the colors and the size of my various species of plants. i have been adding them around my garden fence over the past few years. this year, i added three new plants, and…
garden visit: applewood estate
the applewood estate, former home of Charles S. Mott and his wife Ruth, is located in Flint Michigan. the home and gardens are open to the public for group tours and events. our garden club visited 18 of the landscaped acres a few weeks ago. the home and property spans 65 acres of orchards, trees and…
garden dreaming
so, this week i have been garden dreaming. the temperatures in Michigan seem to have stabilized a bit, and we haven’t had day after day of sub-zero temperatures. for this reason, i became a bit more optimistic and brought out some of my favorite gardening catalogs. i have other favorites as well, but decided to…
red amaryllis
i potted a red Amaryllis just before Thanksgiving this year and had beautiful blooms by Christmas. the lily like blooms on tall stems look very tropical to me. i have only planted Amaryllis one other year, as i often forget to plan ahead and purchase the bulbs. this year, a friend of mine was selling…
